so waht ya doin today?

[fiver]

have to wonder why weather prognosticators always focus on the lowest temps which occur at night, about 4AM, when virtually no one is out and about

''out and about'' rebuilding water pumps at 4AM is a north dakota, wyoming, and montana tradition.
work started at 3 or 4am and you didn't relieve the night crew till 5 or 6am [took that long to get to location] so someone's was out there wind chill or not.

 

[KeithB]

Been a busy week. Business was kind of slow in December but now it's picking up. I think everyone is geting used to higher material prices. Got a new part one of our customers wants us to make. Had to order the material and some special countersinks (120 degree, used in the aircraft industry, not the typical 82 or 90 degree ones you can buy off the shelf). Had to figure out how to make the part and then design and build the two fixtures needed. I'll write the two CNC mill programs this weekend while I watch some football.

When I was off work and sitting at home I was working on some ideas for making a new much simplified push thru sizer set. Used to sell a set many years ago but it was never very profitable and was very hand-labor intensive. Based on some ideas that 462 and Ian here shared with me (thanks again guys!) and with a better understanding of how my customers would actually use it combined with a lot more manufacturing experience and vastly better equipment I think I have something that might be successful. Still have to get together a complete set of drawings and all the other things needed before we can start production but I'm working on that every chance I get. I may try to make a prototype this weekend, I can do that while I watch football in the background.

Turned down a chance to teach a basic CNC course at the local technical college. They couldn't guarantee that all the students in the class would be vaxxed and with covid running rampant I'm not willing to take the chance of getting infected so I turned them down. It's nice to be in a position to be able to say no. The money would be nice but I really don't need it so I will spend the next 16 Wednesday nights doing something else.

The last two days have replenished my brass supply. Brad sent me a bunch of .380 and .40 once fired brass (thanks again Brad) that arrived yesterday and today I got 250 new .44 Special cases from Starline. They make good stuff! It will make up for the brass my knuckleheaded nephew and his friend "recycled" at the State range a few weeks ago. Now when my (back)order of ammo boxes from MTM arrives I'll be back where I was albeit a few dollars poorer.

It was nice to have Scott back, he's the best man I've ever worked with and a good friend and I appreciate his insights, sense of humor. and work ethic.

 

[obssd1958]

I know you've probably heard this before, but just in case you haven't, and aren't aware, you'll want to trim that Starline brass before you roll crimp it. I love their brass, but had to trim every piece of revolver brass in order to use it. Even if you're going to taper crimp, when you start belling the case mouths to get them open enough to seat cast bullets, you're going to see some cases that have almost no bell, and some that look like a trumpet!

 

[KeithB]

Yes I’ve bought Starline brass before and had to trim it to uniform length. I appreciate the reminder.

 

[Brad]

Starline is great stuff. Grabby the first load on my Dillon expanders but excellent brass. I don’t buy anything else new for handguns.

 

[waco]

Grabby the first load on my Dillon expanders

I have noticed this as well.

 

[fiver]

any brass that's too clean does that.
i found that out when i got my pin tumbler and figured out how to use it properly.

 

[CZ93X62]

#metoo.

 

[Winelover]

And I thought Michigan had a late muzzle loader season, which opened in mid December. Weeks after the modern gun season ended.

Here in Arkansas we have two muzzle loading seasons. Ten days in Mid October (coinciding with archery) and another three in Mid December, about a week after modern gun season closes.

 

[Bret4207]

''out and about'' rebuilding water pumps at 4AM is a north dakota, wyoming, and montana tradition.
work started at 3 or 4am and you didn't relieve the night crew till 5 or 6am [took that long to get to location] so someone's was out there wind chill or not.

Same idea here, but the grandmas and teachers and store clerks who actually watch the tv fear mongering are all fast asleep. Like I said, the "poor schlubs" are out in it regardless!

 

[Bret4207]

Pretty brisk out there. Gonna put the wool trousers on again today. Think I'll cut wood, I hope anyway.

 

[Rick H]

Michigan has a January season in problem areas (some overcrowded urban areas and Bovine TB and CWD).

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I guess its time to start wet tumbling...

I got about a 100 old 244/6mm brass from a man on another forum. He said it was his dads and had been handloaded 1x. Had written loading info showed just that. This brass is likely older as I am! Tags said loaded it was loaded1963, 1965 and 1966.

But it is badly tarnished. No bad brass I mean nothing growing on it just very dark. I tumbled it in CC and that removed a good portion of the uglies. I soaked it in brass cleaner and hot water for couple hours. That left blk water. So Im assuming insides is cleaner now too. Yesterday I tumbled all afternoon in Walnut, then about a hour in CC again to remove the rouge. All told about 25hours cleaning. Im told same could have been done in about 4 hours.

Its still imperfect but very useable now. Gonna finish prepping it up today. Anneal and trim.

CW

 

[Ian]

I guess its time to start wet tumbling...

Invest in some proper equipment (SSTM or FA) and you will throw away all your vibratory/dry media equipment.

A rinse in very dilute liquid car wax solution cures the sticky expanding spuds. Or find a Nylon cleaning brush that fits inside the case, drill a hole in a wood block or your bench so it can be threaded in, rub thumb and forefinger across your tub of Imperial, then up and down the brush, and use the lubed brush to inside lube each case before sizing. Mica works too but I don't care for it.

 

[JonB]

Age tarnish, like decades old age tarnished cases ...I've had best luck starting with a citric acid bath in a crock pot (near boil temp), dunk for 15 minutes. I use 3 Tblsp of 100% citric acid powder in a gallon of water. The solution turns bluish when it's spent. rinse a couple times, then dry it, then a short tumble in CC treated with liquid car wax before sizing. trim. then another short tumble in same. It's not shiney. I'm not a fan of shiney brass. The Citric acid passivates the case and leaves it dull...almost like a thin parkerizing.
that's my 2¢

 

[obssd1958]

Wet tumbling, with SS pins or not, eliminates or at least greatly reduces, one of the main sources of lead contamination in our hobby. A friend of mine, had blood lead levels go from 8.2 to 6.3, just by going to wet tumbling and getting rid of the dust generated by dry tumbling.

 

[Ian]

The truth of the matter is an even, ancient tarnish is probably good and would do well to be left alone other than a quick clean in walnut to remove surface dirt and oily stuff. I just can't abide it though after I started SSTM cleaning for range pickup brass, and especially after getting into the Class III game where brass is made FILTHY and in large quantities.

These fired from a suppressed M1A, were bright and shiny when loaded in the magazine.

 

[JonB]

Yep, the cases just need to be clean. There are so many ways to get there.

 

[Rick]

Have never wet tumbled, use corn cob for many years now. No dust involved, use just enough of this to keep all dust down. Clean bright shiny brass every time. A big key though is wash hands well after every time you get into it. Usually a good lather with Lava hand soap.

 

[JonB]

Wet tumbling, with SS pins or not, eliminates or at least greatly reduces, one of the main sources of lead contamination in our hobby. A friend of mine, had blood lead levels go from 8.2 to 6.3, just by going to wet tumbling and getting rid of the dust generated by dry tumbling.

Once I started treating CC with liquid car wax, actually I thin liquid car wax about 50/50 with 91% Iso Alc, I don't get any dust. What I do get is a hard greenish/black gum stuck on the bottom of the tumbler, which I figure I should clean/remove about once a year...with MS and toothbrush.